


𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐓.

by sixcry



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016), elevenhopper, elevenxmike - Fandom, finnwolfhard - Fandom, mikewheeler, mileven - Fandom, milliebobbybrown, strangerthings - Fandom
Genre: F/M, MikexEleven, Mileven, Strangerthings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-15 04:46:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18066839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sixcry/pseuds/sixcry
Summary: In a country where violence and vengeance rule, two teenagers, born with a special gift are destined to restore the balance of their nation.With the government after them, they must remain elusive as they work together to defy all the irrevocable, unforgiving laws of nature.-February 2019





	1. 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐄.

_In_ _a_ _country where violence and vengeance rule, two teenagers, born with_ _a_ _special gift are destined to restore the balance of their nation._

 _With_ _the_ _government_ _after_ _them_ , _they_ _must_ _remain_ _elusive_ _as_ _they_ work _together_ _to_ _defy_ _all_ _the_ _irrevocable_ , _unforgiving_ _laws_ _of_ _nature_.

 

 

Even though most of the sun had been hidden by the clouds in the sky, a small amount of light still brushed against my face as I stepped out of the car. I hadn't had on a proper coat, but the limited sunlight seemed to make the crisp air bearable nonetheless. I wrapped my arms around myself as I silently took in the view in front of me. The house stood alone on a hill, a gaunt and creaky relic of Victorian; its window panes smeary with age and dirt.

"Start moving. We don't have all day." Mike snapped at me. I glanced over at him from the corner of my eye. he looked like he was waiting for one of my usual snarky remarks, challenging me to say something,  but I didn't. I only rolled my eyes and a subtle smirk settled on his face as I trailed quietly after him into the house.

"We have ten minutes. Grab whatever you can, and then let's get out of this place." He said, closing the door behind him. My face scrunched up at the inside interior. This might've been a million dollar home long ago, but now with its dingy grey, paint-flaked walls, and neglected belongings, it was nothing short of a junkyard.

I crouched down to pick up anything I could find that might've been valuable to us. It was all trash to me, but I could just hear Mike’s voice in my head now. Where I'm from, one man's trash is another man's treasure. When I glanced over at him, his eyes were closed and brows furrowed as if he were deep into thought. I almost asked what the matter was before I noticed it too. From the outside of the house, faint sirens could be heard approaching us. My ears perked up as I stood to my full height. "They've found us," he stated calmly.

My heart sank, and I had to abstain from panicking. "Why are you just standing there then? We need to go. I'm sure there's a window we can--"

"No." his voice was loud and stern as it echoed throughout the area. "It's not just a few of them, Eleven." He turned his head to look at me. "They are everywhere. We'll have a better shot of getting away if we stay put and confront them. Together.

A confused look spread across my face. But before I could question him , a loud knock sounded at the door, making me jump back. "You are surrounded! Open up!" My whole body stilled. Fear visibly running from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. He rolled his eyes at my inability to remain calm, the stolid expression on his face never faltering. I wasn't like Mike. I was soft.

I understood that it was an inconvenience to him, but I couldn't help it. "Jane," he warned. I hated when he called me that. "You need to Relax." I tried to follow his advice by taking deep breaths as he took long, confident strides toward the door. On the other side, he was met by a round white male dressed in black. Several men started to appear out of nowhere. In a matter of seconds, the whole lawn was filled by men clothed in dark suits.

I tentatively moved behind Mike as I remembered his words. We'll have a better shot of getting away if we stay put and confront them. Together. A crooked grin that made my skin itch stretched across the chubby mans features. "We got 'em, lads."


	2. 𝐎𝐍𝐄

[ 2 Months Earlier ]

 

 

In 2030, the united states joined its third world war against North Korea, alongside Great Britain, and France. Half a year later, President Sanders was assassinated in his office by Korean spies. Without his leadership, the united states were forced to surrender, and due to war debts, we went into our second ever great depression.

Evan Rogers, the vice president at the time, took charge of a political party called SYPHON which promised to pull our economy out of the depression. Of course, people jumped at the opportunity and voted in his party to rule America alone. Shortly after this, all three branches of government were shut down. Rogers successfully managed to pull the united states out of depression, but the country itself visibly began to take a turn for the worst.

The first act Rogers passed as our new leader, called the "2035 limited childrens act," prevented each family from having more than two children. This was "The only way" to reduce risks of another economic crisis. Any child born after the child limit would be collected by the government and held in a facility where families who hadn't had two kids could adopt them. The facility was named Syphon Inc after the political party. On average, about two thousand babies were brought in every year, and seventeen years ago, I was amongst the top few.

Today was the 20th anniversary of Syphone Inc's opening. This wasn't really a big deal to anyone but it gave people something to chat about in the cafeteria. "Do you think Rogers will plan something special today? Syphon is like his child." and "No. Rogers wouldn't even begin to know how to take care of a child."

I hadn't touched any of my lunch that day. My mind was too focused on the fact that my seventeenth birthday was tomorrow, and I'd still be here. Soon, Rogers always said to me, but how much longer was soon? I was practically an adult, and yet I didn't know how to do any adult things.

"Hey, you 'gonna eat that?" I looked over to Max who'd already had a plate full of food in front of her. She rubbed her palms together, a big grin forming on her face as I slid my tray over to her. I watched as she stood up with it in her hands. "I got an untouched tray right here for fifty cents!" She shouted across the lunchroom. She looked back at me, rolling her eyes when she saw the look on my face. "What? I gotta make bank in here somehow." she shrugged. Max had only been here a month, but she sure did know how to run the place. 

"Yeah, okay." I laughed. My eyes zeroed in on the clock on in front of us. I wasn't very skilled at reading clocks, but I knew where I was supposed to be every day when the hands hit that exact spot. "Behave yourself, I have to go meet with Mr. Rogers now." I stood up and pushed lightly at her shoulder. Max was the same age as me, but most of the kids in the facility were younger than me so I felt like it was my job to be a motherly figure toward them. "Don't count on it!" she joked, but I hastened out of the cafeteria before I could hear it. I ignored all the calls from the guards to "slow down!" and "stop running!" If anyone knew Mr. Rogers, they knew he did not like waiting. Besides, It wasn't like they could catch me; I was too fast for anyone.

I almost fell as I stumbled through the doors of his office. "Jane,” He spoke easily. He didn't look up at me, but I could see the irritable expression fixed on his face. "I understand that you and our newest addition Maxine have become quite the best friends." I nod and wait for him to continue. "We were just notified that the family set to adopt her next week has decided to drop her." My brows furrowed at the same time he locked eyes with me.

A family had requested to adopt Max within only three weeks of her being here. It wasn’t a surprise, she was pretty and really talented. “That's awful. She's going to be so heartbroken." I was always the first one to know when an adoption request fell through. Rogers thought I was best suited to break the news since I knew how it felt. I'd lived in Syphon Inc since I was a month old, and I'd never had a family request me for adoption. Rogers only shrugged before looking down at his desk again. "It happens."

I wasn't sure how I was going to explain to Max why she wouldn't be getting adopted without making her sad, so I spent the day trying to avoid her. However, I was only successful for the first three hours before she randomly showed up at my room. "Max!" I squeaked out, immediately regretting not looking through the peephole. I would have to write myself a reminder. Start using the peephole. She stared at me skeptically for a few seconds before pushing past me and into the room. "Have you been up here all day?" She asks.

"Yes." I lied, I was pretty much everywhere around the building that she wasn't. Her eyes narrowed. "You're lying." she accused, and I'm taken aback. "You've only been in here for thirty minutes." Max looked surprised by her own words as soon as they left her mouth and I raised a brow. "I don't know how I knew that."

"Stalking me maybe?" I restrained a laugh as her face flushed. I offered her an understanding smile, sitting down on my bed. If there was ever a perfect time to tell her the news, it was now. "Max there's something I need to tell you." She nodded, staring at me with interest as she sat beside me. "I know how excited you were about this last week, and I didn't know how to tell you all day, because I knew it would break your heart. I'm so sorry, but the family decided they didn't want to go through with the adoption."

The room fell silent. Max closed her eyes momentarily, and I studied her face.  When she opened them again, I was surprised to see that they weren't teary. She didn't look sad, angry, or disappointed. "Thank you for telling me." She broke the silence. "...But it's okay, Jane. Honestly. I was shocked last week when I heard somebody wanted me, but I don't need a family. My family is back home in California. I volunteered to come here last month when my mother gave birth to her third child. I didn't want my little sister to grow up not knowing her family. Besides, I've been handling myself pretty well 'round here, haven't I?"

"You've been doing amazing." Max’s  strength was so admirable that I almost hug her to death. "You and I both have one more year, and then we can go wherever we want."

"Maybe I'll take you to see real beaches and kiss real boys." She continued for me, and I grinned at her. I'll learn how to drive a car, I want to add, but I'm sure it'll sound more pathetic said aloud. It's never really sunk in for me that I'd never stepped on a real beach before let alone talked to a guy my age. "But what if we didn't have to wait a year?" she whispered. 

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it," She stood up, and I noticed the features on her face light up as she talked. "Tomorrow is your birthday. Did you think I forgot?"

In all honesty, I did think she forgot. My birthday was only another normal day here in Syphora Inc. "Well, I didn't. Tomorrow might not mean anything to you, but it does to me. You've been here your whole life. Have you even ever tried to escape?" Escape. That was something prisoners did, and I'd never thought of Syphora as a prison. Sure, I've wanted to go out and explore, but I'd grown up here. This place was my home. These guards, the children, Rogers, they were my home.

"These people are not your home, Jane." The expression on her face is serious, but mine is confused. 

"I didn't say that," I spoke carefully.

"Huh? Yes, you did. I just heard you."

"No. I thought it."

She rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about?" Even if we had the best escape plan in the world, there's only two of us and hundreds of guards. They'd kill us before we reached the exit. I stared directly at her as I purposely produced thoughts in my head. Her eyes widened, and she took a few steps back in shock. "What the fuck? Jane. What are you doing?"

"It's you! you're like a mind reader or something, I don't know." I grinned. "You did it earlier when you told me I was lying," I explained. She looked wildly puzzled but entertained. "Mind reader.. That's so fucking awesome." I laughed at her amusement. She began to laugh too, but our laughter came to an abrupt end after a voice on the intercom began talking.

Lights will go out in ten minutes. Guards will be coming around to lock your doors in five.

Max locked eyes with me, and I immediately shook my head. "It's too risky. We're not doing it. That's final."

I could sense her growing frustrated. "Are you gonna' be a better-safe-than-sorry kinda' person all your life? Is that the life you really wanna live? How fucking boring."

"Okay, I know that you've lived in a world where you could afford to be a gambler once, but I'm sorry, this is the only life I know, Max." I spat back at her. I was a little hurt by her words. Mostly because I'd expected her, out of all people, to understand where I was coming from.

"It doesn't have to be that way." Her face almost softened but she quickly pulled herself together, determined to stand her ground. "I could argue with you about this all night, but I don't have all night before the guards get over here. I'm going with or without you."

I watched Max as she stormed past my door and out of sight. Despite the inkling that we'd be walking right into death's hands, everything else in my body was telling me to follow her out into the hall. She was right, I needed to stop playing everything so safe all the time. Every day at Syphon inc was the exact time. An endless cycle of déjà vu. If I wanted anything to change around here, I needed to start making things happen.

I swallowed my pride and made my way toward the door. There were less than thirty seconds before the guard would get over here, and I knew that If I left now, nothing would ever be the same for me. I quickly pushed all of those negative thoughts to the side. I needed to focus on one thing at that moment, and that was finding Max before she landed herself into a situation she couldn't get out of.

...

I'd never been outside of the dormitories after hours. My body was so used to automatically shutting down after the lights were cut off that I felt like a zombie walking through the halls to find Max. My heart was pounding with every step I took, though I couldn't quite see anything. I began to feel around in hopes I'd recognize which part of the building I'm in from a wall or something. I did know this place like the back of my hand, after all.

I could hear several voices coming from a few feet away. I couldn't quite make out who they belonged to, still, the conversation seemed pretty heated. I held a hand close to my chest as I moved in the direction of the voices. I knew I was letting my curiosity getting the best of me, but I couldn't help but feel like what they were saying was important. The closer I got the clearer the voices became.

"What do you mean they aren't in the dorms? You have five minutes to find them or I'll blow your goddamn brains out!"

Rogers. 

I felt my heart sink in my chest. I'd never heard him speak so vulgar before. Clearly, he was talking about Max and me, but I didn't expect the guards to report it back to him so quickly. "Sir, with all, due respect, five minutes is an unrealist--"

My eyes immediately shut closed. I couldn't abstain the small whimper that slipped my lips as a gunshot popped off. An even louder shriek left my body when I felt a hand roughly grab on my arm. "Please." I cried out, turning around as slowly as I could.

Once I'd made a full three-sixty, I was met by a pair of warm brown eyes I'd never seen before, and a flashlight in my face. I was almost positive I'd seen everyone at Syphon Inc. The man had curly, neck length brown hair that shined voluminously in the dim light. He stared blankly at me for a few seconds, possibly taking me in like I was taking him in. This guy, whoever he was, was breathtaking. "You're not supposed to be out here." He spoke lowly. I gazed down at my arm and he slowly released his grip.

"I'm looking for my friend. Her name is Max. She has long red hair and blue eyes." I began to explain. "Have you seen her?"

His head fell a bit which set panic in me. "Look," He began. "I think it's best you just forget your fr--"

"What?" My voice had come out a bit louder than I intended, but he couldn't have expected anything else. Who says something like that?

"Lower your voice." He demanded, and I narrowed my eyes. The man looked around before speaking again. "The guards are probably checking their cameras to find you as we speak. They have night vision goggles - we don't. If you go back to find maggie or whoever the fuck, you're going to die."

I shook my head, stepping back from her. I couldn't abandon Max without knowing if she was okay or not. "She will die! If I don't find her, Max will die!"

"Max is probably already fucking dead!" he whisper-shouted back. "That gun-shot was most likely aimed at her. She overheard everything they were saying and they had no choice. She had to go, she became a liability."

I felt my legs begin to weaken as tears welled in my eyes. I couldn't stand the possibility of Max being dead because I wasn't there with her. How could I live with that burden for the rest of my life? I sat down dramatically on the floor and let myself sob.

I heard the guy scoff, pulling something out of her pocket. "Get up or I'll shoot you. This isn't a game. We have to move." When I looked up at her there was a gun aimed at my forehead.

"You're insane." I spat.

"Yeah?" His voice was ridiculing, and I hated it. "Do something about it." I didn't know what they meant, but I knew that I wanted to rip that gun from his hands. he didn't expect it to happen either when the gun actually left his hands and fell into mine.

"Holy shit." he stared at me with big eyes, but he looked less confused than I was. "So you have the telekinetic powers. That must mean maggie could read minds."

I was about to ask him what he meant, but I was cut off by a loud siren that flashed red all across the building.

This is a code red. We have an escapee. I repeat. We have an escapee.

"Up! Quickly!" he was shouting now. The man held a hand out for me, and I took it as I stood to my feet. He began speeding through the halls, and I didn't struggle to keep up at all. Usually, I was the fastest person I knew, but this guy may have been my match.

I had no idea where we were going, but we were able to get some idea of where we due to the red lights. The guy stopped in his tracks when we turned a corner. There were about twenty guards lined up in front of us. I wanted to slowly back away, hide, do anything but I couldn't as even more guards came from behind us, pushing us to the center. There was never a moment I'd felt more suffocated.

I saw Rogers pushing through the crowds of men to come face to face with us. He had an evil, menacing smile on his face. I'd never known this side of Roger before. 

"Hm. Mike Wheeler," He began. "Well, this certainly is a surprise. I thought my men killed you after you tried escaping our facility nine years ago." Nine years ago? I was here nine years ago, but I don't remember any Mike Wheeler... Then again, I was eight.

"Well, you're a fucking idiot, Rogers." He spoke with ease. I envied how bold he was, but I feared for his life in that very moment. Mike’s face was emotionless as Rogers let out an unnecessarily loud chuckle.

"Not any more than you are for coming back here, son. You got away nine years ago, but you won't be so lucky this time." Rogers looked over at me. "And my dear Jane. You were always important. We could've taken over the world together, but you should know better than anyone, I have no tolerance for those who go against me."

"Important." Mike laughed. "Tell her about how you've been lying to her all her life." My eyes averted from the curly haired man to Rogers who'd only been smirking at us.

"If that's your last wish. Very well then." Rogers sent his guards a look that seemed to make them relax a little.

"I don't know how it's possible, but you, Mike, and Max were born with these... incredible abilities. Mike is a mind controller. Max was psychic. You are telekinetic and by far the most valuable. We learned your secret when you were three years old and made a doll float. Since then, we've thrown out all of your adoption requests... and you get plenty, darling. When we discovered that Maxine was also one of you, we threw out her adoption request as well. Years ago, when Mike became aware of his abilities at nine he escaped, but you will both die tonight."

"You sick bastard," I mumbled as he signaled the guards to close in on us. How did I ever give this man the honor of being called my home?My grip on Mike’s hand tightened, and he began to whisper something in my ear.

"He's right. I'm not going to be able to get us out of here, but you are."

"What?"

“You’re telekinetic. Fuck these guys up and let's get out of here."

I'd never even known until today that I had "powers." That powers even existed, for god sake. It was all so surreal, and this new mind-boggling information didn't help.

However, I knew what I had to do. My chest felt as if it might cave in at any given second the tighter space got. I could only hear my heartbeat in my chest as I closed my eyes and imagined realistic scenarios that would get us out of here. "Quickly." I heard Mike whisper. I nodded, trying to fight the anxiety building in my stomach. I took in a sharp breath, and half a second later, a blood-curdling scream fled from my mouth. Every man in the room, including Rogers, bent down on their knees, their palms pressed so tightly against their ears that their knuckles were white.

"Holy fucking shit." Mike gasped, but he  wasn't talking about the men. Each wall that we'd been cornered by was now crumbling down in front of us. Holy shit was right. I did that. I couldn't stare at the men anymore once blood started dripping from their ears and on to their hands. Mike didn't seem too bothered by it.

"Are they going to die?"

"No." he sounded disappointed when he answered. "But we don't have time to finish them off. Rogers is a smart guy, he might have back up on the way as we speak. We have to go." I nodded, following her through the huge hole in the wall. Or just hole now. There wasn't much of a wall left.

The outside air was young and brisk. It was nothing like I'd ever experienced before. I could actually hear crickets chirping, and the wind rustling through the trees. I could see what the stars looked like, though I was a little disappointed they weren't actually shaped like starfish. The grass was soft and green just like how I saw it on the TV, and I just couldn't wipe the humongous, corny grin that had been plastered on my face as we ran as far as we could away from Syphron Inc.

"Welcome to the real world," Mike snorted, peering over at me.

 

 

 

 

A/N: I’m aware a lot of people don’t like eleven being called jane, but it’s an important part of this story so please just stick it out if you can. Leave your thoughts!! <3


	3. Chapter 3

Since the beginning of documented history, the conception of time has intrigued people from all over. Time is man-made and capricious; fleeting when we are content and inevitably tedious when bored.

Growing up, I hadn't had a concrete notion of the word time. I did things accordingly, spontaneously, or whenever I was told. It made me nauseous to think of how miserable an existence It must've been, and I wasn't even aware of it.

The sound of an engine starting drew me out of my relentless thoughts. I crawled outside, and my hands immediately flew over my face, shielding my eyes from the morning sun. It was a lot brighter than I'd imagined, granted I'd never seen the sun from outside before.

I'm not sure how far Mike and I traveled before we decided to find shelter. After no luck, he found a few large green sticks, apparently called bamboo, and made huts out of them. I was wildly impressed by his skills to build like it was nothing. He told me, "Raising yourself for nine years has its benefits, I guess. As you can see I'm you quite the cunning and swift mastermind." I had to roll my eyes.

I discovered the consequences of sleeping on the ground as I stood to my full height. I groaned lowly, holding the small of my back before opening my eyes all the way. They widened when I saw the brown haired guy sat on top of a motorcycle, pushing down on the kick starter. "Morning." Mike raised his head slightly to look at me.

"Where did you get that?"

“Aw, I'm doing alright, thanks for asking." He rolled eyes, staring back down at the gears. "If you must know, I stole it."

"I don't think you're supposed to do that." I wasn't sure about how the outside world worked, but that seemed like common sense -- like how you'd get in trouble if you took another kids graham crackers when you were five. We were already on thin ice.

"You've been away from Syphon like, what, two seconds and you're already policing me?" He snorted. "Relax. I compelled them to give it to me."

The fact that we had super abilities still hadn't registered in my head yet. Being able to control a mind that wasn't your own seemed like such an improbable thing. For any normal person, you would probably have to have the tenacity and years of practice to master the skill. Mike was able to do it with only a look, and a string of his words. "Is that how you got into Syphron yesterday? You compelled the guards to let you by?" It made sense. I hadn't heard any glass break or alarm set off.

"Yes."

"Why?" I questioned, with a sudden peak of interest. "You escaped Rogers hands nine years ago. You were off the hook. Why come back? It had to be something important because nobody on earth would put their lives in danger for fun."

"You clearly don't know me." He smirked but I kept a serious face. He was right. I didn't know who he was, but here I was in the middle of nowhere with her. Mike sighed to himself after a few seconds of silence. "You ask too many questions. Do you wanna go for a ride or not?"

"Will you compel me if I say no?"

"Don't tempt me."

My eyes narrowed at him before hesitantly walking toward the vehicle. Mike strapped something on to his head, then handed me the exact item as I climbed on to the seat behind him. "It's a helmet. Wear it, wrap your arms tightly around my waist, and you'll be safe."

I did exactly what he said. My arms snaked around his waist and I pressed my head against his back as the engine started. "By the way," he started. "It doesn't work like that. You're the only one immune to my compulsion."

It was a relief to hear I didn't have to worry about Mike compelling me. I held on to him tightly as we rode out of the mini jungle we were in and onto the highway. I was a little caught off guard when a few cars drove by. "Mike! We're driving with the cars!" I tried to warn him.

"Okay?" he shouted back.

"...Motorcycles can do that?!" I felt his  back vibrate against the helmet. I knew he was laughing at my oblivion, but I wasn't offended. For the remainder of the ride, I only watched in awe as the world passed us by. I learned that at a traffic light, green means go, red means stop, and yellow means slow down. I wondered if Mike was colorblind, though, because he didn't stop for any of the lights.

My head rose from behind Mike’s back as we began to slow down. After parking in front of a building called 7/11, he let himself off of the motorcycle and removed his helmet. "This is a gas station. I'm going to get food. Don't move."

I watched him as he entered the gas-food store. Or whatever it was. The guy behind the counter eyed Mike suspiciously as he walked behind one of the shelves. He grabbed multiple bags of chips and started to make his way over to the drinks.

I tore my eyes away from the window when I noticed a sick looking man and a golden retriever sitting in front of the store. I'd never seen a real dog before. Mike’s words disappeared from my head when I began to approach them. The man looked up at me immediately, and I offered him a polite smile. "Excuse me, sir. Is that a real dog? can I pet him?" I could tell by the way his face twisted in confusion that I was supposed to greet him with something else, but I seemed to lack social skills.

"Oh, yeah, of course." He stood up. "If you could just hold his leash while I go inside for a second, I'd really 'preciate it!" When he grinned at me half of his teeth were either brown or missing. I hoped he hadn't noticed me cringe. "I'll be right back."

The man handed me the leash before rushing away. I crouched down in front of the dog and rubbed kindly behind its ears. "You guys like this right?" I spoke softly. "I've seen people rub behind their dogs' ears on TV before." He began to bark as a shadowy figure appeared behind me, causing me to move back. I dropped the leash and the golden retriever took off in the opposite direction the man had gone.

A familiar hand wrapped around my wrist, and I didn't panic because I knew it was Mike. His facial features were angry when I stood to look at her. "Jane. I gave you one simple direction. Stay put, and now look." My head turned in the direction she was pointing, and I noticed the motorcycle was now gone. "You let the damn crackhead steal our ride."

I flinched at the tone of his voice. "He told me he was coming right back."

"Well, there you go. You learned something new today. You can't trust anybody out here." He began to walk away from me, and I furrowed my brows.

"Where are you going?"

Mike turned around briefly. "Let's just go our separate ways, okay? No hard feelings, but there's no need to stay together, I'm not looking for a friend or partner in crime. So, good luck." My lips parted slightly, though, no words left my mouth to try and stop him. I knew it was only a matter of time before he decided to leave

I realized I'd been starving as I watched her fade into the distance with two plastic bags in her hands. It was understandable that she wanted to go separate ways, but he could've left something for me to eat.

I rolled my eyes and turned toward the 7/11. I got the same skeptical look as Mike did when he entered the building. Did we look like thieves or something? I ignored his stares and made my way to the back of the store. There was a variety of things on the shelves to chose from; Chips, wrapped sandwiches, candy, and gum. Back at Syphon Inc., the food looked bland and lifeless, but here it was bright and inviting.

I grabbed a bag that read 'Hot Cheetos' on it. It was two of my favorite colors - red and yellow. After I'd ripped it open, I plopped a handful of Cheetos into my mouth. "These are good," I said, my eyes widening with a mouthful of chips. Then a second later, "These are hot!"

The guy behind the counter seemed to have taken his eyes off of me, but he quickly zeroed in on me again at my outburst. "Hey! you will pay for those!"

"My mouth is burning!" I shouted back at him. "I can't feel my tongue... Oh my god, my tongue is falling off." I remembered there were refrigerated drinks behind me and grabbed the biggest water bottle I could find. I didn't know what anything else was, so I just played it safe.

I only managed to get a few sips before the man strode in my direction. "I know who you are," he spoke quickly, "The government is looking for you. You've been all over the news for the last eight hours." He then held up a small pistol shakily. "I'm turning you in. If you take one step I'll shoot you."

"Put the gun down."

He laughed. "Giving directions to a man with a gun? How dumb could you be?"

"Put the gun down. I'll give you three seconds." I said louder. I was taken aback by the new profound confidence that had been ignited in me.

He only looked at me for a few seconds before picking up his phone. "Hello... Yeah, I have the girl that's been all over the news for the past eights hours here and she's threatening to bomb my store." He stared at me from the corner of his eye as he spoke.

I tilted my head to left, and at the same time, his phone flew out of his hands and on to the floor, shattering. "You stupid little bitch," he growled. I watched him struggle to pull back the trigger of his gun, and darted behind a shelf as soon as the bullet made contact with the wall. Several other bullets were shot off with intentions to strike me, but I was too fast every time.

The last bullet that was shot off was actually penetrating. I couldn't stop my hand from hovering over my mouth as the man dropped to the floor. I could only see his head from where I was behind the shelf, but the amount of blood spilled onto the floors, and coating the walls made me want to puke. "Shit," I cursed, standing up. It couldn't have been anyone but Rogers. I had no choice but to give myself up now. The man was the one to call the police, but I knew Rogers would have him killed solely because he laid eyes on me first. I held my hands close to my chest as I walked to the front of the store.

"I can't leave you for a second, can I?"

My eyes shot open, and a surge of relief swept over me. Mike tucked the gun into his pocket before making eye contact with me again. There was truly no one, in that particular moment, that I was happier to see. "Well don't just stand there. By now, Rogers probably knows where we are. Let's get going, I got a new ride." He smirked.

I followed after him as he exited the convenience store. The new ride was an actual car this time.An Audi. When I was far away enough from the store, Mike threw a lighter at the building, and all at once it went up into flames.

"Was that really necessary?"

"What?" He shrugged, "It's for dramatic effect."

...

 

I fell asleep sometime during the car ride. Before I dozed off, Mike and I had been arguing about what type of music to play in the car. He preferred louder, hardcore music, and I wanted to listen to something soft. I'm not sure how I fell asleep with the ruckus, but a small smile graced my faced when I noticed he’d  actually changed it to piano later.

It dropped when I saw that he wasn't in the car. We were parked in front of a beautiful mansion, that at first sight, didn't look real. I wondered what Mike was doing inside of it.

The mansion was made of thick, black stone, which was covered in silvery dew. The old, tarnished porch was made of darkly-painted wood, and an ancient rocking chair was displayed by the doorway.

I stepped out of the car and took a step closer, taking in the essence of the home, with its soft willow trees and tiny lake. The glass windows that were on the bottom floor, level with my eye, had noticeable fingerprints on them and long scratches. I was even more taken away by the polished, mirror-like floors and exquisite choice of paint colors on the inside.

"Look who decided to wake up." I heard Mike’s voice echo as he made his way down the stairs. I only stared back at him with wide eyes and disbelief, which caused him to chuckle. "It's nice, huh? We can stay here."

We?

"...Since you know, you need me and all." he quickly added.

It was oddly comforting to know that Mike didn't mind me staying after i’d been so much trouble, but more importantly, It was a relief to know that I could finally change. With my beaten up shoes, messy hair, and worn down clothes I looked like I'd gone through world war four.

He didn't question me as I excused myself upstairs. The number of rooms that were in the hallway was insane considering there were only two of us here, but I wasn't complaining. I opened up a random door and decided that would be the one I stayed in. It was twice the size of my old room, it's king-sized bed didn't even fill up half the space. The gentle beige walls and the wooden floors made it so much homier. I sat down at the large white vanity beside the bed for a few seconds before making my way over to the closet. I couldn't stand looking at my reflection until I was cleaned up.

I was grateful when I saw that there were already female clothes filling up the small space. I didn't know if they would be considered "fashionable." or not, but I wasn't a picky person. I grabbed a plain white shirt and a pair of blue jeans then started my search for the bathroom.

...

 

I felt like a new person as I came down the stairs. After showering, fixing my hair, and changing, I was able to look in the vanity for more than five seconds.

Mike had been sitting on the couching watching television, but I figured he heard me walking as he turned his head to look in my direction. "Did you get lost or something? you were up th-"

He paused mid-sentence and a puzzled look crossed my features. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" My hands rose up to my face, suddenly becoming a bit self-conscious. "Do I have something on my face?"

I couldn't read the expression on her features as he stared at me. "I don't know. Let me look," he spoke evenly, and I tentatively crossed over to the living room. Mike stood up when I neared him, his eyes never leaving mine as he walked closer. I watched him with curious eyes as he moved a strand of my hair behind my ear.

A wave of realization must've swept over him as he pulled his hand back. "Sorry."

"What was that for?"

"I don't know. Has anybody ever told you that you're enthralling?"

"Well..." I tried to recall a time anybody had called me pretty. There was only one, but that was a memory I wanted to forget. "No."

"Well, you're enthralling," Mike spoke like it was no big deal. He didn't seem to care much about what he’d just said, still, I could feel my cheeks flush at her words. I just hoped it wasn't visible.

"... After witness, Kevin Moore, says he saw a male and a female leaving the scene earlier, police officers are now calling this an official investigation. If you have any leads, please call 555-0129."

We both shifted in the direction of the voice. I'd forgotten the television had been on. Mike ran a hand over his face, a barely audible sigh leaving his lips. It was important that we kept a low profile, being on the run and all, but we weren't doing a good job. "Don't." He warned, knowing I was going to panic. "You'll be safe."

Half an hour later, I was back in my new room. I could usually find peace being in the comfort of my own space, but now, I was just left with the burden of my unwanted thoughts. How long until Rogers and his men found us? How long until we had to relocate? If we were found, what Rogers would do with us would be much worse than death.

There was no room for me to be scared, though. I knew what I was getting into the moment I left my room after hours. I knew what I was getting into the moment I stepped out of Syphon. I knew letting Rogers evoke fear in me wasn't even an option, but the only way Mike and I would survive him is if we outsmarted him. I'm sure he could've had that down to a science, but I still had to learn to be more cunning for myself.

I had to learn to be more dauntless, more elusive. It was essential, because Mike and I were deviant. 

I turned my pillow to the side and forced my thoughts away. Growing up, I hadn't had a concrete notion of the word time, but this was the start of the beginning of my life.

 

 

Time was all I had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
